Have you ever noticed that people don't really write about snooker? It's onTV for hours on end, several times a year, watched by millions of viewers(all addicted the sleepy click of the balls and the soporific tone of thecommentary). But you never see it in the papers. Football gets splashed allover the back page, rugby and tennis too, but snooker? Nope. Maybe aparagraph after the final in the 'other sports' section. It's obvious why,really. It's just not very rock 'n' roll. No flying, brutal studs uptackling, no screaming shots smashing into the back of the net, no sprintingdown the wing, no violent scrums featuring huge mean-looking rugby bastardswith minging squished ears. It's just... there.

Luke Vibert's new album is the aural equivalent of snooker. You're nevergonna hear someone screaming from the rooftops about how great it is. Butthousands of people play it regularly. 'Lover's Acid' is relaxed, lightelectronica, processed beats and sonic squiggles, reverbed vocal samples andsynth basslines. It's never really pop - the songs all blend together into anice sticky flow of cartoon electronic goo. Thankfully, it doesn't fall intothe Lemon Jelly trap of becoming "chill out" fodder, although it does toethe line from time to time. But 'Lover's Acid' has a sense of humour and asense of fun, and while it might never receive the critical attention thatartists like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher get, it's a great example of laidback, fun, back-from-the-pub, night time electronica.